Maryland: who should earn your vote for Congress in 2026

Opinion · The paper’s scorecard

Maryland: every race for Congress on the 3 November 2026 ballot, and how the candidates measure up against our standards.

Sitting and former members are scored on the same key votes, read from the official House and Senate roll calls; each vote links to the record. Candidates who have never served in Congress have no votes to score, and outside the battlegrounds we have not researched them, so they are marked as not scored. Where only one candidate could be measured, the mark rates that record on its own; it is not a verdict on the opponent. How the marks work · All states

District 1 R+8

✓ Meets our standards: Andy Harris

Meets our standards

Andy Harris

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +2

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (17)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (10)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

Dan Schwartz

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 2 D+10

No mark

Johnny Olszewski

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total -1

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (5)

Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source
Voted for the September 2026 resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran. Source

Against us (6)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Dave Wallace

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 3 D+12

No mark

Sarah Elfreth

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total -1

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (5)

Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source
Voted for the September 2026 resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran. Source

Against us (6)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Berney Flowers

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 4 D+39

No mark

Glenn Ivey

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 21 key votes · total -6

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
~No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, barring agencies from buying Americans' data without a warrant. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source

Against us (15)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

George McDermott

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 5 D+17

No mark

Steny Hoyer (D): incumbent retiring.

Adrian Boafo

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

Chris Chaffee

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 6 D+3

Leans our way: April McClain Delaney

Robin Ficker

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Leans our way

April McClain Delaney

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total +1

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the CLARITY Act, a light-touch rulebook for digital assets. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source

Against us (5)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

District 7 D+31

No mark

Scott Collier

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Kweisi Mfume

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 26 key votes · total -3

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (9)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the amendment requiring a warrant to search Americans' communications under FISA Section 702 (it failed 212-212). Source

Against us (17)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

District 8 D+30

No mark

Jamie Raskin

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total -3

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
~No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (9)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, barring agencies from buying Americans' data without a warrant. Source

Against us (18)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Cheryl Riley

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Photo credits. Official congressional portraits are works of the U.S. government and in the public domain.